Vaudine England – The latest phase in the Government's continuing reshuffle signals a further consolidation of power by President Abdurrahman Wahid.
His technique is also impressive. He announced Monday's sackings while International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Stanley Fischer was in town, leading many to assume the fund had demanded the changes.
In fact, the IMF did not demand these or any other sackings, but sources expressed wry admiration at Mr Wahid's finesse in letting the IMF take the heat. "There are underlying politics behind every move Wahid makes," said Kusnanto Anggoro, a political analyst at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Mr Wahid's choice of replacements in his cabinet is a clear sign of his priorities. Retired lieutenant-general Luhut Panjaitan is loyal – and bumps up military representation in the cabinet – while Rozy Munir is a close personal and political ally from the President's Nahdlatul Ulama organisation.
"He wants loyalists around him as his primary consideration is the consolidation of power. There is no economic reason [for the cabinet changes], everything is political," said Mr Anggoro.
When Mr Wahid cobbled together a coalition of Islamic, nationalist and other political parties to secure the presidency last October, he faced an array of problems. Mr Wahid's approach was to carefully dole out power to a neatly balanced mix of political parties, religions and even ethnic groups, in what was lauded as the "compromise cabinet".
This year, however, Mr Wahid has openly commented on his dislike for many in his cabinet and his plans to sack and appoint whoever he wants, while he first of all dealt with the military by sidelining General Wiranto.
Now, he is seen to be implementing those plans for reform of a cabinet which has long been unable to co-ordinate policy goals or implement them. Observers have been quick to note how many times Mr Wahid has placed close friends or Nahdlatul Ulama allies around him. "Yes, he wants people from Ulama," said Mr Anggoro. "He has often said he trusts no one but close friends and relatives."
It is believed Mr Wahid plans more cabinet changes to further insulate him from his opponents and that these changes would be ahead of August, when an annual session of the Peoples Consultative Assembly will hear his accountability speech.
Opinions vary about whether Mr Wahid's growing confidence is a good sign of growing cohesion at the top, or a bad sign of his autocratic tendencies. "He has been an autocrat already," said Mr Anggoro. "If you interpret democracy as freedom of expression then, yes, Wahid is a democrat. But if you think it means a Government which is transparent, accountable and so forth, then he is not."